The Scarlet Trail, Prologe
by flamingflight
Summary: An Immortal and Akane...
1. The Scarlet Trail

The Scarlet Trail  
Prologe, What Regrets We Still Hold  
By Max-Chan  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, I originally posted this story as an Original on the Fanfiction.net, but then changeed my mind and changed it to become a Ranma fic. I know, I still need to finish Forever Bound and work on Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon but I state it, Forever Bound is recieving it's finishing touches and should be out by tomorrow or the day after. This story will probably deal with more drama then Forever Bound. :). Send all comments and critism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
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He stared silently out towards the ocean, allowing the pounding waves to soothe his restless soul. Too many battles he has undergone, too many deaths he has seen and caused. Maybe sometime ago, somebody could have stopped him and made him care. Maybe...a long time ago...too late now. The man, thing, beast, demon, killer, whatever he was, had cared once, centuries before. The young man couldn't remember but he knew he had a mother once, a woman that loved him unconditionally without having a conniving manipulative thought in her caring head...unlike all those other females he had met. His mother, and her...The salt sea air blew wildly at his hair leaving his expression unchanged. He had thought once, that if you went seeking for death, it would come. But in the end he only proved himself wrong. So, the man tried making death come accidentally...but death did not come.  
  
The man learned to live with his immortality and risked his life in every battle and fight only to come out the winner. The centuries had frozen the man's heart, although most claimed stubbornly that he had none. His soul was dull and numb from the ashes and pains of human emotion.  
  
The Immortal was alone. His family was gone, friends were useless, allies unneeded, and women were liars. Pleasure just bored him now and life held no surprises. The young man laid down on the glittering white sand and put his hands behind his head as a pillow. His mind dulled at the crashing sounds of the waves hitting the shore. The Immortal's entire conscious was focused on the mysterious beauty of the bright stars scattered in the dark sky. Strangely, the sky at night comforted the Immortal because it was the only thing he's known older, more powerful, and more infinite then himself. Many years before when the man still knew how to feel, he would spread his sorrows to the stars and drown in the eternal darkness of the night.  
  
No more tears, no more laughter, no more...he was beyond that now. A faint blue light surrounded the Immortal as he stood. Two large black wings grew from his bare back spreading larger and higher then his well-formed body. The Immortal's mysterious midnight blue eyes narrowed and grew darker. The Immortal gave one of his rare, cruel smiles that chilled the bravest soul and killed the courageous of men. His senses perked at the movement behind him. To notice this was rare for the strangest of demons, and simply unheard of in humans, even immortals. The air behind the Immortal rippled and an elderly man appeared. The short man would have appeared kind and innocent if not for the sinister glint in his empty black eyes.  
  
"What do you want, old man? I broke your bones before, I can do it again," the Immortal warned coldly without turning around. The old man just laughed wickedly and said, "Silly boy, do you really think you have beaten me? Ha! No, you couldn't beat me on my worst day!"  
The Immortal ground his flashing white teeth. While most beings couldn't even get behind the Immortal's walls, the old man had and annoyed him immensely. "Oh really? Water Spiral Being!" the Immortal shouted as a large dragon appeared from the sea and flew towards the old man. It swished it's tail at the old man in one quick movement sending him flying. The old man's cracked laughter filled the night as he flew beyond the horizon. The Immortal stared wickedly after the place the old man had been. He turned around surprised when he heard a soft humming. The Immortal turned to his left and gasped at the sight in front of him.  
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Akane stomped angrily onto the beach, her soft tan sandals making dents in the sand. Her deep blue hair blew wildly around her face and if one was to compare, they couldn't tell what was the more beautiful blue, the ocean, or her hair. Her dazzling brown eyes shot fire as she grumbled under her breath about stupid perverted jerks and mean manipulative sisters. Akane stopped before the shore, picked up a near-by rock and hurled it into the ocean. She then picked up another rock and hurled it again...  
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The Immortal stared at her, amazement clear in his features. He watched the girl throw stone after stone angrily into the ocean, her face flushed with heat, the ocean at her feet.  
The girl's hair swished wildly around her face and her white dress flowed around her skin, becoming her skin, and in that moment the Immortal envied it. The girl obviously didn't notice him, but he dared not move, afraid that she would disappear...just like every time he had envisioned her before. The scent of her wafted to him and he gave an inward sigh. The Immortal's eyes didn't move and his cold features didn't change, but he retracted his wings back into his body. He knew who she was.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane threw another helpless stone into the ocean, but when she suddenly sensed someone behind her. Her body tensed as she whirled around intent on knocking whoever sneaked behind her into oblivion.  
She stopped halfway though and asked annoyed, "What are you doing here, Ranma?"  
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Author's Notes: All comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. 


	2. The Scarlet Trail

The Scarlet Trail  
Chapter 1, When The Odds Are Uneven...  
  
Author's Notes: Wow! Here's the next chapter to this fanfic. Oh yeah, things may seem confusing at first, but pay attention and I'm pretty sure you'll understand. Hope you enjoy this. Thanx to my pre-readers. If it wasn't for them, ya wouldn't be able to read this and would have to try and decipher it. Thanx ya. Oh and thanx to negai for the name. -_- Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
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As the Immortal stared tenderly down at the girl, something glinted in his steel eyes. If one did not know better, they would have mistaken it for...adoration? No, that was not possible, not for him...not anymore. He could not believe his eyes, she was there, and this was not a dream. Akane looked up at Ranma...no not Ranma...he looked like Ranma, except for very subtle differences. He was taller then Ranma, though he had his face and pigtail. The man wore only a pair of silk black pants and shoes, his tan muscular chest and arms visible. Akane looked up at his face and saw faint white scars on his forehead, behind his bangs and one at the corner of his left cheek. Looking at his eyes, Akane gave an involuntary shiver...they were so cold...so merciless.  
  
"Your not Ranma, are you." she stated, not asked.  
The Immortal narrowed his dark, turbulent eyes before saying softly, "Wild horse? What a peculiar name. No, little one, my name is not Ranma. My name is Kama Saotome."  
The first name had gotten to Akane before the last, "Kama? Doesn't that mean Fire horse? Wait, you said your name was Saotome, are you any way related to Ranma Saotome?"  
"What is your fascination with this Ranma, little one?" he asked her.  
Akane blushed, but she felt she could not tear her eyes away from his. Something about them, they were so tempting, so warm...so dangerous. *Play with fire and you get burnt...*  
  
"It's just that, you have the same last name as him and you look almost exactly like him. I-I t-thought-" Akane stammered helplessly as Kama lifted her chin up gently. She knew she shouldn't stay here with him, with this stranger, with...Kama, but she couldn't help it. Was   
this what hypnotism felt like? To feel as if someone else controlled your body? Yet, when she looked into those eyes, she could only think of one person, *...Ranma...* The Immortal felt it; he knew her heart was calling out for someone else, and he felt an unspeakable pain that he had forgotten. A pain that he had made those that dared to fall in love with him feel. It was sounbearable. It threatened to tear him limb-by-limb, piece-by-piece.  
  
"You call for another now, little one, but you love me. Sooner or later you will have to face that fact," Kama said gently, but with cold determination in his tone. The water from the ocean rushed to freeze around him and Akane, creating a small, ice, dome cage.  
"No..." Akane whispered, not knowing why she did not just run from him. Maybe it was the iron grip on her arms, or the cold menace in his face. Whatever it was that had actually scared Akane Tendo to a state ofhelplessness, it was too late, anyhow, for Kama had already bent down and kissed her. *My first kiss...no, Ranma's kiss...* she remembered the kiss Ranma gave her while in the Neko-ken. Even though that kiss was brief and the person   
kissing her believed he was a feline, it was warm and comforting.  
  
This kiss was cold, freezing, merciless...just like the giver of the kiss. Akane closed her eyes and in her mind two faces appeared...Ranma and Kama.  
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Ranma stomped across the beach, obviously annoyed. In his mind, he tried to   
figure out why Akane got so mad, all he did was discover the pictures that Nabiki took of her. What was she being so modest about? After all, his girl form walked around without a top half of the time and he couldn't see what the big deal was. Now, he had to go and find that kawaiikune tomboy of a fiancée of his in the middle of the night, just because she couldn't deal   
with her anger.  
  
Ranma, suddenly, felt a dangerously low cold chi near-by and he ran to see what could be the cause of it. *Oh man, not another de-* his thoughts stopped at the sight in front of him. Standing in the middle of the beach was Akane...and another guy...kissing. His mind didn't register the cage of ice surrounding them, or Akane trapped in the guy's arms. He didn't   
bother to notice the man's pigtail or his experienced Martial Arts stance. All that registered at that moment was Akane...and another guy...kissing.  
  
Acting on instinct, Ranma ran and shot a chi blast at the ice dome, shattering it. The blast surprised Kama and he let Akane go, turning to look at the angry Martial Artist attacking him. He dodged every move expertly and with such confident ease that Akane became worried for Ranma's safety.  
"Ranma, stop it!" Akane yelled, but Ranma ignored her. Finally, the man had enough and hit Ranma square in the chest, letting him fall back onto the sand, spitting blood.  
"Ranma!" Akane screamed, running to the side of her fiancé, not bothering   
to see the hurt look that passed through Kama's eyes.  
  
"Leave me alone, Akane," Ranma said viciously as he glared eyes filled with   
hatred at Kama, "Go take care of your boyfriend, just forget your fiancé!"  
Akane looked puzzled at Ranma, "What are you talking about? Oh! You mean   
the kiss. Ranma, listen! He kissed me! I didn't want it, he trapped me!"  
Ranma turned his face towards Akane, searching her eyes to see if they would give him any indication that she lied. They didn't. That only made his anger burn brighter as he stood up to face Kama.   
  
"In case you didn't know, Akane is my fiancée. You want to live, you accept that fact, got it?!" Ranma said neutrally.  
"I do not believe you are in a situation to bargain with me, Ranma," Kama said with more ice. Akane flinched; she knew that one thing that Ranma valued more then his honor and manhood was his pride and Kama had just scored a big blow to his ego.  
"Ranma, let's go, please. I think I'm hurt, you can deal with this jerk later, please?" as much as Akane hated begging anyone for anything, she knew this time it was needed.  
  
Ranma gave one last dagger-filled look at Kama before letting Akane lead   
him away.  
  
As soon as they were out of sight, Kama's black wings grew once again from   
his back and his face hardened, his mask back into place. Kama gave a shout, "Tenoku!" An old man appeared, his beard and hair white.  
"What is it, Kama?" he asked bored, obviously not impressed by Kama's   
anger.  
"Who is this Ranma Saotome?" Kama asked, His voice oozed with venom.  
Tenoku laughed, "Why Kama? I could almost swear you were going to ask   
about the girl."  
  
"I already know who the girl is,Tenoku. She is my Akane, remember?"  
"Correction, Kama, she was your Akane. She is different now and she loves   
someone else."  
"Leave the lectures at home, Tenoku and tell me everything you know of   
Ranma Saotome," Kama growled.  
"Well, I believe Ranma Saotome was born to..."  
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Akane and Ranma arrived at home, neither mentioning what happened on the   
beach or why Ranma had blood on his mouth. They went into the house and straight to their seprate rooms in the living cottage. That night, as everyone laid asleep, they laid in bed awake.  
Akane stared at the ceiling, two faces dancing in her mind and when she drifted off to sleep, two names sung her to sleep: Ranma, Kama, Ranma, Kama...  
Ranma laid in bed, contemplating the day's events. He was seething. There was something about this guy, this rival, this enemy. His chi level was past the extreme and there was something unsettling about him.  
  
Genma lay fast asleep until he heard a voice say in his ear, "Gen-chan, Gen-chan, get up and light the day..." Surprisingly, this soft chant woke up the sleeping man and he sat up, smiling and walking out of the house.  
Nodoka heard a soft chant in her ear, "No-chan, No-chan, get up and light   
the day..." She stood up and walked out of the house, a large smile adorning her face.  
  
Outside in the front yard of the inn stood Genma and Nodoka, side-by-side as   
Kama walked out from the shadows.  
"Hello No-chan, Gen-chan." Kama said at them.  
"Hello, Kama-sensei," they responded.  
"Now, children, I happen to feel the need for a rest from my travels and wish to live with you two," Kama stated matter-a-factly. Nodoka and Genma beamed with the honor of being the ones chosen to offer him their hospitality.  
  
"Great-great, great, great, great, great-"  
"Just call me Great-grandfather,"  
"Yes, great-grandfather," Genma said.  
"Now, I wish to move in tonight, is that possible?" Kama asked.  
"Of course," Nodoka readily agreed, *...even if I have to sleep on the floor to   
make it possible...*  
"Good," Kama smiled triumphantly.  
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Deep In the middle of the night, Kama appeared in Akane's room as she slept. He moved a wisp of hair from her delicate face. She gave a sigh and his heart constricted.  
"Soon, my little one, you will be mine again," and with that he disappeared.  
He left before Akane could mutter three words, "Kama, my lord..."  
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Author's Notes: All comments and criticism to   
silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  



	3. The Scarlet Trail

The Scarlet Trail  
Chapter 2, Forgetting The Truth Is Better Then Remembering The Lie...  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, I hope ya kept on reading this. I know it took some time since I got this out, but I've been working on other stories as well and now that Christmas Break began I'll have more time to write. ^_^  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
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Ranma walked out of the bathroom just as Akane exited the bedroom she occupied. Ranma breathed in the sight of his radiant fiancee in a wispy, thin, white, shoulder-baring dress that went to mid-thigh. Dark violet, rose designs circled around the dress and her figure seeming to bind her. *Whatever made her wear that?* Ranma thought, his senses in a jumble. Akane noticed him then and gave him a thin, weak, forced smile. He looked so warm and welcoming in his regular black, silk pants and white Chinese shirt. His sight was so fresh, yet so familiar...so secure, so safe, so sheltered-! *Wait! Ranma, secure? Safe? Sheltered? What am I saying?!* Akane thought and smiled brightly at the irony of it.  
  
Ranma smiled back at Akane and they both walked towards the top of the staircase. With a mutual sigh, they both silently agreed to forget about yesterday's incident and return to how they acted before. As they walked down the stairs, the words hung dangerously in Akane's head, *...so safe...so secure...so familiar...*  
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Ranma and Akane stopped abruptly as they entered the large dining room to see the person that had occupied their thoughts for the past hours. All blood drained from their faces as the conversation died down and the people of the room noticed Ranma and Akane's entrance... only Nabiki noticed their fear. Kama glared pointedly at Ranma before getting up and smiling brightly at Akane. Akane felt a shiver go up her spine, *Why's he here? He's not supposed to be here,...Kama...*  
  
Ranma moved to stand in the way of Kama and Akane.  
"What are you doing here?" he practically spit out.  
Nodoka and Genma both looked frightened and shocked as Nodoka jumped up and stood by Kama's side pleading desperately, "Great-Grandfather, please, please, for my and Genma's benefit, please do not harm Ranma!!! He is our only son, please do not!!"  
Kama just looked into Akane's eyes and Akane felt such coldness there that she shivered. She knew he wanted her to plead with him...and strangely, she knew he could destroy Ranma. "Please..." she barely whispered, her voice hoarse. Kama smiled, obviously very pleased.  
  
Ranma couldn't take it anymore, "What's wrong with you, tomboy? Why'd you beg him? He couldn't do anything to me. He's just a weak, pathetic-"  
"Ranma!" Nodoka yelled, her eyes widening. Suddenly, her voice took a deadly no-nonsense tone, "You will respect your elders and betters. You shall respect Great-Grandfather and apologize now!"  
Ranma stared at his mother, the very same woman who made him sign a contract to kill himself if he wasn't a man amongst men, was ordering him to apologize and bend to this...this person?! This person who was barely 6 years older then him? *I didn't bow down to Happosai or Cologne, why should I bow down to him...?* he thought disgusted.  
  
"No, I will not-"  
Kama just sat back down at the table as he waved his hand dismissively, "It matters not if he decides to obey me, No-chan. It will simply...complicate...living matters."  
"Living matters?" Ranma sputtered.  
"He's living with us?" Akane gasped in shock and horror.  
Nodoka's face hardened, "Ranma, Akane, of course Great-Grandfather is living with us. We should be honored he decided to grace us with his presence. Now, Soun, Genma and I have already agreed to this so nothing more is going to be said. Just sit down and eat your breakfast."  
  
Akane and Ranma sat side-by-side each other, letting the matter rest...for now. Kasumi was the one to voice what everyone dared not think about...  
"Why do you and Mr. Saotome call Kama-san here Great-Grandfather?" she asked absently. A shadow seemed to fall over the table as everyone listened to Nodoka's answer.  
"This is sort of complicated, but I'll explain. You see Kama here, is an immortal," Nodoka said as Akane, Ranma and Nabiki spat out their food across the table and yelled, "What?!"  
  
Nodoka looked at Kama's cold face and sighed, "Really, children, you must be more polite. You see, Kama is an immortal and he was born many centuries before. So far back that even he forgot the exact year he was born-"  
"You mean, you don't know how old you are?" Akane asked surprised.  
Kama gave a mirthless grin, "It does make birthdays more difficult, Cherie."  
Ranma didn't know why, but he felt a dark wrenching in his heart at Akane's sudden interest in Kama. Nodoka began again, "Yes, well, Kama was born a Saotome, but something happened so that he was forced to become immortal and now he is staying with us, end of discussion."  
  
Nabiki analyzed all this speculatively and when she looked into Kama's eyes, she inwardly flinched. She knew what she saw there, ruthlessness, brutality, coldness, merciless, cruel, unfeeling, pitiless...the signs of someone who has given up everything and crossed the line...just to gain what he wanted. She knew the signs and she feared them, for no matter how cold Nabiki was, she always knew never to cross the line, she never even knew it was possible for anyone to cross the line of human emotion. It was said that those even able to cross this thin, dangerous, impossible line could achieve anything they wanted, for they never held back...in anything. Yet, there was a price for this...this...inhumanity...the person...or thing had to cut himself/herself off from everyone he/she knew or even remotely cared for, from the truest love to the stranger they met on the street.  
  
"When did you do it? When did you give up humanity?" Nabiki whispered, her voice shaky and husky with fear.  
Kama stared deep in Nabiki's eyes and said neutrally, "When my love was destroyed by my worst enemy."  
"Was it worth it?" she choked.  
Kama stole a glance at Akane and everyone in the room noticed. Ranma tensed, knowing what was about to come.  
"It was...anything was worth it...for Akane," Kama said.  
  
Akane froze, looked up at Kama's eyes and felt an uncomprehending guilt wash over her, choking her, drowning her. She stood up and ran out of the lit room, out into the yard. Kama stood up and went after her. As Ranma stood to run after his fiancee, though, Nodoka and Genma gripped each of his arms tightly and gave him a look that said, "Don't!"  
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Akane walked through the inn garden and picked at the leaves and flowers. She tried to look at the situation from a good point of view, but found none. *Who are you, Kama? Why are you here? How am I connected to you? Why do you look so much like Ranma?* questions continued to run through her head. Suddenly she heard an amused male voice say, "You know, the people that own this place won't be very happy you're ruining their garden." Akane kept herself from whirling around and yelling at Kama.  
"Leave me alone," she muttered instead. Kama just ignored her muttered command and walked beside her, touching a tiger-lilly softly.  
  
"You know, you used to love tiger-lillies Akane, you absolutely loved flowers; tiger-lillies, tulips, roses, begonias, even the average dandelion. You had a cherry blossom tree in your backyard, you know. You begged your father so much and he always gave into you. He always spoiled you. There was a-" he said gently.  
Akane interrupted him, "Stop, please, stop-"  
Yet Kama was merciless, his voice raw with emotion, "You said flowers were your life and every morning you would walk to your field and sing to your flowers. You told me I couldn't come because if anyone besides you were to come to your garden in the hills, it would ruin its serenity. Do you know who you brought to your hill, Akane? Do you-"  
  
"No, stop, please, please!" Akane cried as she bent over, a dark guilt eating at her chest, swallowing her. She didn't want to remember, didn't want to believe, but the images were there, buried deep inside. The images...and the terror...she didn't want to remember the happiness, the joy, the guilt, the pain...and the fear...  
  
######Flashback#######  
Akane Fardisi smiled serenely as she kneeled down into the soft, wet, moist earth as she put her hands in and started digging. Off in the distance she could hear the sound of a waterfall emptying into a lake that was connected to a ravine. The tune that she hummed circled around her, blending into her surroundings and the whole hill seemed to soften and melt towards her, as entranced to her uncanny beauty and song as any human. A soft wind blew softly at her wispy, original blue hair and field of flowers that she had planted with her own hands.  
  
The people of the town and village didn't like her hair. They said that it was distasteful, brazen, and unladylike to have such ridiculous color hair. Akane didn't care what they said. Her soft, brown eyes melted as she patted proudly on the ground her newly planted flower: A fireweed. *This is my favorite flower...* she thought, *...almost rose, but not...* Kama-kun always asked her if the fireweed and rose were so alike in appearance, why didn't she like the rose? After all, more people liked the rose, it was more sophisticated, even the name was better. Akane sighed, he didn't understand, no one did, not even father. The fireweed was more wild,   
more free, more...her.  
  
Finally gathering her skirts, Akane walked silently down the hill, enjoying every sound and sense. A shadow loomed over her field as she left her paradise and a dark thing caressed the land.  
#######End of Flashabck######  
And then, Akane remembered the guilt...  
#######Flashback#########  
  
Akane walked through the ruddy streets of the village. She was so bored nowadays, ever since her fiancee-by-birth, Kama Saotome, left for his 10-month training test to prove his manhood, she has been bored out of her mind. All her life, Kama has always been her best friend, the boy next door, that she adored. Now, with him gone, she found herself getting bored. The people of the village greeted her kindly and she smiled. Suddenly Akane remembered something. Today was the day that Kama's younger brother, Ranma, would come home from his 10-year training trip. Akane remembered the boy, her own age. She remembered how when she was just a child, he teased her to no end and played tricks on her. She and he were only 6 then, but she still remembered the tricks, and teases. Why did he have to come home today? *And to think that when I marry Kama, I'll be related to that jerk!*   
Akane thought indignantly.  
  
*I'll show him!* Akane thought maliciously *I'll come pay a 'visit' to my dear future brother-in-law and tell him straight up that I will not deal with his mean tricks again* and with that conviction, Akane hiked up her skirts and ran towards the Saotome manor. As she ran through the gate and smiled at the guard, Akane bumped straight into a man. Falling flat on her   
behind and too embarrassed to look up, Akane heard a kind voice say, "I'm so sorry, miss, can I help you up?"  
  
Taking his offered hand, Akane helped herself up, not looking at him. Blushing as she straightened her skirts, she finally looked up at the stranger to thank him...but the thank you died in her throat. Staring into the deepest, most unique blue-gray eyes she had ever seen, Akane felt herself drowning and the ground drop from under her. Those eyes were so mesmerizing, so warm, so...Akane did not even know how to describe the feeling. So belonging, like it was meant to be. Suddenly, Akane broke from her trance as she noticed the other person was starring at her just as intently.  
  
He never saw anyone like her. First, disrespecting all tradition and actually running, this girl dared bump into him. A lord. Now, though her dress appeared to be that of a lady, she was actually sitting on the floor! When he helped her up and she turned that beautiful face to his, he was lost. Lost in those brown, milky eyes that held both innocence and recklessness. The girl said something, but he did not hear so she repeated it again.  
"Konnichiwa, milord," Akane repeated as she did an awkward curtsy, she never could do those right.  
"Konnichiwa," he said absently.  
Looking deep into his eyes, Akane asked, "My name is Akane Tendo, from the Tendo line, what is your name, sir?"  
  
The man smiled a large, amused grin. His eyes danced merrily, full with mirth.  
"The name's Ranma Saotome, and I see you're still as clumsy as ever, you uncute tomboy."  
######End of Flashback#######  
  
Akane smiled at the memory, but she still remembered the fear...a deep gut-wrenching fear deep inside her that fought to surface. The guilt was still there, but the fear was greater, so much greater.  
"I see some things now, Kama, but there's something you're not telling me, something you don't want me to remember. What is it, Kama? You have to tell me!" Akane said.  
  
Kama's eyes darkened, but he said not a word. He had her back now, he was not going to lose her to 'it' or anything else again.  
"There is nothing you will not see with time," he replied smoothly.  
"But will it be too late?" Akane whispered.  
  
They were suddenly interrupted as Nabiki rushed into the garden, breathing hard.  
"Akane, hurry up. We have to go home! Something attacked Shan Pu and Cologne at the Nekohanten and they're in the hospital! We have to go now! I think they're going to die!" Nabiki shouted.  
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Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  



	4. The Scarlet Trail

The Scarlet Trail  
Chapter 3, The Scroll Of The GreenWitch  
  
Author's Notes: Hey people!! Okay first to point out that little mistake in that last chapter where Akane said she was from the Tendo line, well...er...that was my mistake. I'll fix it later, in the past life thingy Akane is Akane Fardisi okay. (I'm nobody...nobody is perfect... therefore I am perfect right?) (Crowd: "Um....no comment. *coughs*) Okay, whatever :p, I thought it would be a long time before I wrote about this story again since I was run dry on it, but I thought about it awhile and decided to type down what I have so far so I don't forget. The ending of the story is very clear in my mind and I already have the beginning out so now all I have to work on is the middle part. Wish me luck. ^_^ *Oh yeah, there's probably some mild cursing in here, nothing serious, but I'm obliged to warn ya*  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Everyone stared down at the battered bruised body of the two Chinese Amazons and her grandmother. Shock, horror, disbelief and so many more deep, terrifying emotions ran throughout their faces. The hospital room was barely large enough for Soun, Akane, Genma, Ranma, Nabiki, Kasumi, Nodoka, and Ukyo. Yet, only Akane and Ranma felt a trickle of familiar fear run down their backs. The same thoughts ran through everyones' minds, *...this is serious...this isn't just another martial artist...this time...this time...whoever it was... actually went for Shampoo's life...* There was something else too that was too peculiar not to be noticed, Shampoo's wounds seem to be a lot more serious then Cologne's or Mousse's injuries. As if whoever it was...was out to get her...  
  
"W-w-who w-would do such a thing?" Ukyo asked in astonishment, voicing everyone's mind-bending thoughts.  
"Obviously someone who has a serious vendetta against the Amazons," Nabiki commented in awe.  
"Well, at least we're lucky that this time it wasn't someone out to get Ranma," Nodoka said sternly.  
Furrowing her eyebrows in anger Akane turned to Nodoka, "Lucky? Lucky?! Auntie, LOOK at Shampoo! Whoever it was wasn't just another fiancee or another challenger, they were really out to get Shampoo! They weren't out there to teach her a lesson or even injure her! They were out to kill her and they-"  
"Failed..." a deep voice said from a corner of the room.  
  
Like a black panther assessing it's prey, Kama slided confidently out of the dark recesses of the shadows, a place that fitted him perfectly. Kama's now-chrystal-blue eyes stared unflinching at Akane and the girl turned away, the now-ever-familiar fear increasing inside her.  
Finally, Kama turned towards the battered form of Shampoo and the Amazons and his jaw tightened. He couldn't believe this happened! After all these years, all these centuries, it still chased him relentlessly. Suddenly, his dark eyes narrowed and pinned onto Ranma, *...or maybe it's after someone else now...*  
  
He spoke, then, his words like a knife cutting the thick tension, "As I just said, whatever was out to get Shampoo failed...somehow...and it's not done yet. For the moment Shampoo is safe, until it comes back."  
Genma and Nodoka nodded, immediatly accepting the words of their Honored Elder Grandfather as truth, but Ranma wouldn't, his mind still distrusting this figure of the shadows.  
"How do you know it's a what and not a who? How do you know it isn't someone that did this to Shampoo?" he spat out angrily.  
Waving his hand toward the three unconcious forms, Kama said dryly, "Can you honestly tell me you believe a human being did this?" Ranma remained silent.  
  
"You know something about this, don't you?" Akane choked out as strange emotions clogged up her throat. This time, when those ice eyes reached hers, Akane didn't turn away. Kama watched in amazement as he saw the flicker of fire and anger there, barely restrained. How she knew, he couldn't figure out...maybe she was remembering again. Maybe she wasn't. Whatever it was, he couldn't take the risk. He couldn't risk her remembering it all and condenming him for a mistake he regretted with his entire being.  
  
"How much do you know?" he asked softly. Everyone's attention riveted on the pair, but they remained oblivious to it. All there was was the them two and the war between their eyes. *What are you doing, you stupid tomboy? Why are you acting like this?* Ranma asked, a tiny hole opening itself in his chest. Somehow, Akane's unbelievable anger at Kama had hurt Ranma. Why? Simple, all her life Akane wasn't used to showing any large emotions. The only strong emotion she showed was her uncontrollable anger. And the only person able to evoke that uncontrollable emotion had been Ranma...until now.  
  
Ignoring his question, Akane accused, "You know what's out there. You know what did this to Shampoo. You know why it attacked Shampoo. What I don't understand is why the great Honored Grandfather Elder Saotome would allow that thing to stay out there!" She had ended that with a scream that vibrated the room and made Kama flinch. Nabiki sucked in her breath and pulled on Akane's arm, lightly, but firmly.  
"Leave him alone, Akane, don't mess with him," Nabiki warned, a slight urgency in her tone. Everyone knew that Kama was ruthless, but they didn't know how much...but Nabiki knew, oh...Nabiki knew.  
  
Flickering one desdainful look at the middle Tendo child, Kama sneered, "What's the matter, Nabiki? Let Akane fight her own battles, she can handle it."  
"You leave Akane alone, you hear? I don't care what you do to the rest of them, but you leave my damn family alone, or I'll make you regret it, Immortal," Nabiki spat.  
Rasing his eyebrow, Kama asked, amused, "And what will you do, Nabiki? Not lend me any money? Get your people to demolish my reputation? Don't make empty threats, they only backfire on you."  
  
Enraged, Nabiki began, "Why, I-...I...you-..." but her words were cut off as her eyes turned bloodshot and rolled to the back of her head. Nabiki slumped down unconcious as Akane bent over her screaming, "Nabiki! Nabiki!" over and over again.  
Taking one look at Nabiki's pale body on the floor, Ranma moved with lightning speed and held Ranma to the wall, off the ground, by his neck.  
"What did you do to her?" he demanded harshly.  
Kama's eyes held shock, "I didn't do anything to her, how could I when-oh shit! It's in the room, everyone get out!"  
  
Everyone turned to take one look at Kama's face before rushing out of the room, Soun carrying Nabiki. When they were out Ranma remembered Shampoo and tried to go back in the room, but he was stopped by Kama's tall form.  
"I should probably let you go in there, but I won't," he said cooly.  
"Shampoo's in there, I have to-"  
Turning to look at the young Martial Artist, Kama said, "Stay calm. No harm shall come to Shampoo. It doesn't want her anymore. That's why it got Nabiki. This thing always finishes it's job, but obviously it decided that it didn't want Shampoo dead. Let it go Ranma."  
  
Glaring at the Martial Artist once again Ranma released all the hidden anger he held a reign to these past days and took a swing at Ranma. Kama effortlessly blocked it and the two fought like water against water. Blocking, striking, blocking, striking...like a sofistiacted dance that will not end. Wanting to end this tiresome game, Kama used his strength to make a blow at Ranma's chest. Ranma fell back backwards onto the cold, hospital floor, spitting up blood...staining the clean tiles.  
Akane was about to run and aid Ranma when the unexpected happened. Giving an unhumanlike growl that broke fear into the hearts of everyone, Ranma stood up. He charged at Kama then and they struck blows again. Only this time it was so fast, that no one could tell what their forms were doing. All they saw was a falsh of blinding light twirling and flying.  
  
In the midst of this light was a surprised Kama being pushed to his limits by an unhuman Ranma. Ranma's eyes had glazed over and the grey were now fading from his eyes and with every second his blue-gray eyes became an even more disticnt, crystal blue.  
The memories flashed through both of the fighters' minds...  
  
#######Flashback########  
"You killed her! You killed her! you killed her!" an outraged Kama cried as he fought his younger brother viciously not holding back. Ranma's mind stopped fighting Kama a long time ago, too painful was the void in his chest. His body, however, just fought Kama's hits on instinct. *Please this can't be happening! Please...she can't be dead...I need her...I need her...* for the first time in his life, Ranma pleaded.  
  
"YOU KILLED HER!" Kama shouted as he used his anger to reach into the dark recesses of his mind that he neevr dared before pondered. He reached out and accepted the shadow and ice...he crossed the line to Immortality. Getting his new gain stregnth he gave one final blow to the brother he once loved so dear. Ranma flew across the room, his limp body hitting the wall and sliding down...lifeless...  
######End of Flashback########  
"Noooooo!!! Akane!!!!" they both gave a shout as the light burst forth and faded leaving two Martial Artists on the floor...blood surrounding them...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma felt the light under his shadowy mind and he blocked it. He had been in a field of flowers with surounding mountains on a hill that seemed so familiar. Akane was there with him...but she looked different. She wore a long, ancient dress and her hair was long. He sat there and watched as she laughed and twirled around the flowers, giggling happily in a way he never heard before. Ranma could barely remind himself to breathe as his heart stopped from Akane's rare, large, warm smile.  
  
Suddenly Akane was there right in front of him. Her face a few inches away from his, her eyes full of mischief. A bunch of flowers were held in her delicate hands. They were the same type of flowers.  
"Do you know what type of flowers these are Ranma?" she said, her voice seeming distant, her lips not moving.  
Finally looking down at the flowers, Ranma shook his head. They looked like roses...but he knew that they weren't. He also knew these were her favorite flowers.  
  
"It's called a fireweed, Ranma," she told him quietly as if they were two children sharing a secret. Suddenly he heard her voice again, but this time more urgent.  
"Ranma?" he heard along with the light. Ranma saw Akane and the field of flowers slowly disappear.  
"Nooo," he moaned.  
"Ranma?! Ranma, wake up. Please wake up," Akane said again. Ranma didn't want to leave the field of lowers, but he knew that on the other side of the light Akane was there...and sudddenly he wanted to go towards the light.  
  
Akane saw Ranma's eyes flicker before opening and she gave a shout of joy before hugging him tightly.  
"A-Akane? Is that you?" he asked her hesitantly. Akane suddenly blushed and released him before saying, "You scared me Ranma, I-"  
"What, the tomboy was actually scared...and for me no less...I'm surprised at you, Akane," Ranma smiled softly.  
"Why you baka. I wouldn't care if you were hurt at all," Akane said stubbornly.  
  
"Really, Akane I-OHHH!" Ranma groaned as he felt a stab of pain from his side.  
"What happened to me?!" he asked in a half groan of pain.  
Akane's eyes widened, "Why? You don't remember?"  
"I remember trying to save Shampoo and that Kama guy tell me I didn't have to," he said the word Kama as if it was a vile taste in his mouth.  
"Oh, okay," Akane said softly.  
Remembering Nabiki, the boy asked, "Where's Nabiki?"  
  
Akane gulped before saying, "We explained evrything to Dr.Tofu and he said that she was caught by a disease that hasn't been known since the middle ages. She'll be okay...if she doesn't get sick in any way for the next couple of weeks. She's so weak now that even a cold could kill her."  
Ranma digested this as Akane suddenly remembered why she woke Ranma up.  
"Ranma, I have something very important to tell you. After you and Kama...um... fell unconcious me and everyone interrogated Auntie and Mr. Saotome about Kama. They couldn't tell us anything about him but they gave us this really old bottle. At first we didn't think anything of it since it seemed empty when everyone tried shaking it. When I tried shaking it though a ripped piece of paper fell out. I was sent up here to bring you downstairs so we can all discuss this," Akane explained.  
  
Ranma nodded, but he refused Akane when she tried to help him walk. When they reached the stairs of the Tendo home however Akane put her arms around him.  
When he glared at her though and hissed, "I don't need help," Akane just said innocently, "What? A girl can't hold onto her fiancee without being harassed?" They both blushed at that and continued down the stairs.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma looked at the old black bottle with a paper that said, "Story of the Horse" on it. He tried shaking it, but nothing came out.  
"There's nothing else in there after Akane shook it out," Ukyo commented.  
Ranma then looked at the piece of paper laying on the table one more time.  
Everyone was still trying to decipher what it meant. The paper read:  
  
{{...and so Kama pushed himself farther and farther until he reached the line that no Saotome dared cross. His anger blinded him, however and he crossed the line, accepting it's consequences for what he wanted. The light faded from his being as the shadows came from the corners to greet their new master. He gave one final blow to the already limp form of his once beloved kin. The younger felt the blow, but it didn't matter for he was already dead inside. He crashed against the wall and slided down dead. Kama looked down at his blood-filled hands and gave a shout of agony for everything lost. For his brother. For his betrothed. For his own soul. Immortality and power has a price...}}  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  



	5. The Scarlet Trail

The Scarlet Trail  
Chapter 4, The Assumptions That We Make  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, okay, next chapter's out. What more can I say? Maybe a little confusing. It was shorter then I planned it to be. E-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma sat outside the Tendo home, the old bottle in his hand and the sheet of paper in his pocket. Everyone had already gone upstairs when the 'Great Saotome Elder had awoken' and he sat here now contemplating all that he could remember of the fight. He had lied to everyone and Akane saying that he forgot what had happened to him and they had all accepted the fact that maybe the blow to the head had damaged his memory of the event. It hadn't though and he remembered every small detail of the fight...the pain...the anger...the fury...and the strange irrational fear and remorse along with guilt. Ranma didn't know where the power had came from and all he knew was that at that moment all he knew how to do was react and act...not think. He had been acting on his emotions and feelings, not his thoughts for the rational human side of him had slowly backed away to something more horrifying... something that even he himself would rather nor ponder upon.  
  
The sky was clear today...he thought...but something wasn't quite right...  
*There are no clouds...* Ranma suddenly realized. There was nothing in the sky at all...no sun...no clouds...it was just an endless sea of baby blue. It was strangly disconcerting and perplexing. The sky was bright and blue yet there was no sun... no anything...and somehow it seemed worse then having a crowded, polluted sky...worse...  
Tearing his eyes from the disturbing sky, Ranma focused his eyesight on the rose bush across the street by a tree. Had that always been there? The rose bush and the tree? It seemed as if a part of him knew that it was always there and yet another part of him denied that the tree and rose bush belonged there. *This is way too strange...* the boy thought disgusted at himself and stood up ready on getting back into the house when he heard a familiar, annoying sound.  
  
Poit...poit...poit...  
The bouncing beat of an old Martial Arts pervert...  
Happosai...  
  
The old man soon appeared jumping from rooftop to rooftop until he landed right next to Ranma, a stuffed laundry bag over his shoulder.  
"What are you doing here, you old lech?" Ranma asked in exasperation, too frustrated to deal with the old man right now.  
The old man just gave Ranma a hard look and was about ready to leave again. Seeing Happosai about to leave, a thought once again occured to Ranma.  
  
"Hey, old pervert, can you tell me what this thing is?" Ranma asked the elder Martial Artist as he held out the old bottle for the old man to inspect. Most likely, the old pervert would not know anything about the bottle and will just succeed in annoying the young teenage boy, but hey he had to take a chance right?  
Looking at the old bottle, turning it this way and that , the old man shrugged, handed it back to Ranma and said offhandly, "It's a Greenwitch's bottle. Hm, wonder who it belongs to?" Then, with that thought he bounced off leaving an even more frustrated Ranma behind.  
  
"Wait! What's a Greenwitch bottle?!" Ranma shouted as he ran after the pervert a few feet and stopped.  
"Ranma, are you okay?" he heard a voice ask behind him and turned around to see Akane stand there on the front porch, peering curiously at him.  
"Yeah, I'm okay, why aren't you in there with Kama?" he asked as he approached her, saying the name Kama like it was a disgusted phrase.  
  
Sighing Akane looked closer into Ranma's eyes and said, "He's inside with everyone. I want you in there too."  
Ranma nodded and as Akane held the door for him to enter he asked her, "Hey Akane, do you see anything wrong with the sky?" Looking up at the blue cloudless sky, Akane shook her head.  
"What about over there across the street?" he asked her, pointing.  
  
Akane looked across the street at the rose bush and the tree and she inwardly shivered. *Is that supposed to be there?* she wondered suddenly afraid and very cold. Ranma looked and saw the distress in her eyes.  
"C'mon," he said, "Let's go inside."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Kama, tell us what's going on here," Akane demanded, her dark brown eyes flashing with something very different from her usual quick anger.  
"Why, nothing's wrong at all, Akane," he lied smoothly, saying the name Akane like a posession.  
"Tell us what's going on, you jackass!" Ukyo shouted brandishing her spatula. Kama looked up at her and his eyes briefly flicked with irritation and displeasure.  
  
"Sit down, little girl," he said cooly and Ukyo tried to lunge at him, but Ranma jumped up and pulled her back as she swung her weapon dangerously.  
"Why you little-" she shouted and Kama smiled maliciously as he said, "Aw, the little Okonomiyaki chef wants to make an Okonomiyaki out of me. Are you up to the challenge, kid?"  
"I'll show you who's a kid!" Ukyo shouted, for some odd reason evoked beyond reason.  
  
"Enough!" Nodoka yelled sternly from her seat and Ukyo shot Kama another glare before letting Ranma sit her down.  
Still standing Ranma looked straight at the Immortal that looked so much like him and said, "Listen, I don't know who the freak you are nor do I care. I just know that I have three Amazons in the hospital and a girl upstairs who is seriously ill. Now, what is this thing that is getting at them and how do we stop it?"  
"You don't," Kama said simply staring at his brother with ill-disguised humor and pity.  
  
"All I can tell you is that this thing is unstoppable and the only way we can at least delay it's process is by pairing each other up, after all, safety can be found in numbers. No-chan, Gen-chan and Soun can be one group. Kasumi and the good Dr.Tofu another. You and Ukyo another group and me and Akane as the final group," Kama said smoothly, grinning victoriously at his sibling.  
"Nuh uh, there is no way I'm letting you near Akane. I'm her partner," Ranma said, not noticing the pain that flashed in the Okonomiyaki chef's eyes quicky covered. He didn't notice, but Akane did...and so did Kama. *Hm...this may be useful...* the Immortal thought as he grinned evilly at the Okonomiyaki chef.  
  
"You take Ucchan and I'll take Akane," Ranma said evenly, practically daring the other to defy him.  
"Agreed," Kama smiled and suddenly Ranma wasn't so sure he made the right decision...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Kama looked over at the long-haired brunette walking beside him, a sad expression on her face.  
Ukyo, finally feeling his gaze on her, looked at him annoyed and asked, "What are you looking at?"  
"A very cute girl," he said jokingly and gave her a one of those meltingly cute smiles the Saotomes were known and famous for. Ukyo blushed and berated herself at her reaction as she looked back down at the ground.  
  
"I'm not going to bite your head off, Ukyo. I know things don't really look good for me at this moment but can't we at least try to get along, hm?" he smiled as he peered down at her.  
After they walked awhile in silence, Ukyo decided maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be nice to this guy since he could possibly lure Akane away from her Ran-chan.  
"You know," she started pointing at the metal fence, "Ran-chan always walk along the rim of this fence."  
"Like this?" he asked beaming at her as he hopped swiftly on the fence and began walking. Ukyo looked up at the Immortal and sucked in her breath...so like Ranma...  
  
She always saw Ranma walking along this fence next to Akane on the sidewalk everyday and any outsider looking upon the scene would see two people who appeared to complete the whole image and belonged together. But now it wasn't Akane...but her...who was on the sidewalk this time...getting the great Saotome smile...  
*This isn't Ranma...this is Kama! Kama!* she had to remind herself.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma and Akane sat along the side on the bridge, looking down at the murky waters below. Little did they know, they were thinking along the same lines.  
*The water seems strange somehow, weird and yet familiar. Ugh! What's wrong with me?! But the water seems so different...so...*   
*...clear...like pure liquid glass...how can it be?*  
  
"Ranma?" the girl beside him asked.  
"Hm?" was his answer.  
"Can you give me the Greenwitch bottle for a moment?" she asked and he looked at her shocked.  
"How do you know it's a Greenwitch bottle?" he asked and she just shrugged as she took it from him.  
  
With slow, soft movements she circled the rim of it with her hand before blowing on it with her eyes closed. Then, she shook it and another piece of paper fell out.  
Looking at his fiancee in surprise, the pig-tailed boy asked, "Why did you do that?"  
"I felt like it," was all she said as they read the piece of paper and a memory came unbidden to her already muddled mind...  
  
######Flashback#######  
"Akane, you're stupid if you believe he'll love you," Kama sneered at her and she flinched but just shook her head in denial and disbelief.  
"No, Kama, you just don't understand," she tried to coinvince him.  
"I do and I know," he yelled at her, "He doesn't love you."  
"How do you know?" she asked sarcastically.  
"Because you're still alive," was all he said and needed to say.  
######End of Flashback#######  
  
######Flashback########  
The hallway in the large manor was dark and the floor creaked a little as she tiptoed down it, a candle flickering in her hand. It was late night and everyone was in bed... but now...now she was going to get some answers from her baka. But as she neared his large door she saw light on and voices shouting. Usually, Akane was not one to pry in someone else's business but she heard her name shouted and so she neared the door and pressed her ear on it.  
  
"Get out of bed, you bastard!" she heard Kama's voice shout and apparently, from the sound of it he had dragged whoever it was bodily out of bed.  
"What are you doing here, Kama?" she heard Ranma's bored, disgusted voice ask, "Shouldn't you be over in your fiancee's bedroom."  
A banging sound was heard as though someone was slammed against the wall and Kama's voice boomed, "You liar, you had all the girls you could have possibly wanted on your training trip, why are you trying to get to her? I know her all my life and she means more to me then you know."  
"Tell me, oh great big brother, did you tell her about the curse or did you simply lie? How am I the liar?" Ranma's voice spat out.  
  
"You told her you loved her!" Kama shouted and Ranma's soft, whispering words could barely be heard by Akane, "I do."  
There was a moment of absolute silence as they all digested that and Kama's feared voice shook, "You can't. You can't."  
"It's not like I planned it big brother. I know about the curse! I didn't plan for it to happen, it just did! But I should have known, shouldn't I? That's why they took me away from here...because I had been falling in love with her...so they took me away on a 'training trip' for ten freakin' years shoving girls after girls in my face. I didn't plan it and if I did it wouldn't have been your fiancee!" Ranma's voice was so loud it vibrated the door and walls.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a body being slammed into the wall and Kama's voice shouting, "I will not have her die! Do you hear me! I will not have her die and I will pull out your heart if I have to to stop it from happening!"  
"Let me down, Kama," Ranma's cool voice said calmly, "I'm stronger and better then you are. I've had more training too...and I'm about this close to killing you and making Akane free."  
  
She heard Kama let him go and say, "But you won't...because you know it'll kill her...and like me...you would rather stay away from her then let her die..."  
######End of Flashback######  
  
"Akane, what's the matter? What does this mean?" Ranma asked as he shook his fiancee. Akane looked at him through tearful eyes and said, "I-" but then she stopped herself and her eyes grew wide as she realized the full implication of the note. With a yelp she screamed, "Kasumi!" and stood up before running towards the Tendo home. Ranma read the note once again before chasing after her...  
  
{...The Saotome Curse was not seen as a curse to them at all, but as a gift from the kami. They believed it was the thing that had kept them thriving while the other Eleven Families died and declined. Power was all the Saotomes wanted and needed and they taught their children that...power...but all power has a price and the curse held more merit then they had thought. It was terrible...it was horrible...it was the Saotomes answer to life and survival. After all, who needed love when you had power and influence? But the Saotomes failed to notice the dark side of the curse...death...there was always death for the curse to work correctly and effectively...always death...}  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He felt it then...the tingling on the back of his neck that had always alerted him of danger. With a quick movement he flicked his eyes cautiously around his surroundings and his gaze landed on Ukyo...the Okonomiyaki chef beside and below him. She was in serious danger.  
"Ukyo, move!" he shouted and he moved on instict, pushing her away from the danger as he felt the three razors whiz pass them.  
  
Ukyo looked up at and stared into a pair of dark blue, crystal eyes that looked at her for one second before assessing the neighborhood again and got off of her. Blushing she looked tentively at him and said, "T-Thank you."  
"No problem," he brushed offhandly while he thought, *Dammit! That was close! If this thing keeps attacking people it'll soon land back to Akane. Besides, I can't have this girl die before she comes to use.*  
  
"Come on, let's get back to the Tendo dojo," he ordered and jumped onto a roof. Ukyo stared after him in awe a moment as she thought, *He saved my life. He's supposedly cold, why would he save my life?* Then, with a wide smile she ran after him.  
Ukyo Kounji was beautiful, intelligent, and very witty and fun to be around with... but she had one fault...she always read more into something then was really there.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	6. The Scarlet Trail

The Scarlet Trail  
Chapter 5, All Things Must Run It's Course  
  
Author's Notes: Here it is...after must deliberation. Nothing...to...say...so...just...enjoy...:)...  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Kama arrived at the opened doorway of the Tendo Home to see Akane crying in the arms of Ranma. She seemed to have sensed him for in the next second, her whole body tensed and she looked up at him with such hatred in her eyes, he felt cold all over. Akane's mouth became a thing line and her beautiful eyes hardened as as she stoof up and stomped over to Kama.  
"Akane, no," Nodoka and Genma said as they stood up. She paid no heed to their words.  
  
In a flash, she was in front of Kama and he only had a second to see her raised arm. The resounding 'crack' as her hand came in contact with his ace could be heard throughout the whole room along with the gasps of Genma, Nodoka and Soun. Kama didn't bother to turn his head back around, his left cheek throbbing with heat and he tasted the metallic flavor of blood on his lips.  
Ranma ran over and pulled at Akane's arms before she could strike another blow but that didn't stop the girl from sobbing and crying out anger.  
  
"You jerk! How could you?! My sister...my poor, innocent, selfless sister that loved everyone and wouldn't have hurt a fly is at this exact moment in the emergency room! Do you know that? Why?! Why Kasumi? She never hurt anybody...but now..now she's attached to a machine because she can't breathe for herself. I know it wasn't an accident for a wire on the telephone ole to suddenly snap and swing at her like that. Even if she'll live, she's gonna have a scar on her right cheek for the rest of her life!" Akane shouted at him and Ranma was the only one that noticed Kama flinch at her words.  
"Akane!" Nodoka exclaimed.  
  
"No!" Akane shouted as she struggled in Ranma's arms, "I'm sick and tired of sitting around waiting for something to happen. First, I want you to tell me that nothing's wrong with Kasumi, that she's going to get out of this coma she's in and be alive. Then...then I want you to go back to wherever you came from and leave me ALONE!" With that, Akane gave a jerk out of Ranma's arms and with one last contempt-filled look in Kama's direction, she ran out of the house.  
  
By the time Ukyo arrived at the house, all she saw was an empty house...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Kasumi...it'll be alright...I promise...I'll make it alright..." Akane whispered as she held on tightly to her sister's hand. The young, once radiant girl laid on the hospital bed, her skin frail and transparent as a large bandage covered 75% of her face. Akane rubbed her sister's hand to her own cheek.  
"Wake up, please, Kasumi...wake up...please..." the blue-haired girl pleaded. Seeing Kasumi laying there was like deja vu all over again. Suddenly, the 16-year-old was a 4-year old girl standing in the doorway as her mother laid frail and tragic in the hospital bed. Akane had always hated hospitals after that.  
  
"You know you have nothing to worry about, right Kasumi? You know I wouldn't let a nyone pick on you about your scar...not that anyone would. You're too sweet, Kasu-chan," the girl cried using the nickname she used to use on her favorite sister.  
"Hey...you okay?" Akane heard behind her and recognizing the voice she quickly wiped away her tears and dropped her sister's hand.  
  
"Y-yeah," she stuttered as she sensed Ranma come up behind her to look at Kasumi. They just stayed that way in silence for awhile...just looking sadly at a girl whom they both considered more then a sister...a mother almost...  
"You know...I used to watch her..." Akane spoke up and feeling Ranma look down at her intently, she gathered the courage to continue.  
  
"W-When I was little...after my mother died...I used to watch Kasu-chan in the kitchen...it's her domain you know. I would just sit in the doorway and wtach her while she sort of glided around and hummed as she cooked up one thing after another. She almost seemed like an angel...and I would just think 'one day I'm going to be like Kasu-chan...one day I'm going to be perfect just like her'...Kasumi was everything I wanted to be...beautiful, angelic, feminine, kind, wonderful...perfect...but I never resented or hated her for it...I never could resent or feel anything but love and admiration for Kasumi. I grew my hair long...just like her...tried to cook...just like her...wore dresses...just like her...tried to be feminine...just like her..." Ranma remained silent throughout this whole confession and Akane was too afraid to turn around and look at him.  
  
"...and I think in a way...I liked Dr. Tofu because she did...but then you came along Ranma...you came along and you rocked the whole foundation of my life...when you were around I couldn't act feminine or kind...or anything like that...I couldn't be who I thought I wanted to be...even my long hair was cut because of you...and I think it was that day...the day my hair was cut that I realized I didn't want to be a shadow of my sister anymore... that there was already a Kasumi Tendo and...and I wanted to be Akane Tendo for once. And you know what, Ranma?" she whispered this at the end.  
"What?" she heard just as softly from above her.  
Akane looked up into Ranma's soft blue eyes and sniffed as she gave tearful smile,   
"I think I like being Akane Tendo."  
  
Ranma bent down until his turbulent, blue-grey water eyes were staring straight into her dark brown ones.  
"I think I like Akane Tendo too," he whispered to her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He sat on the fence, staring off into the horizon. He didn't mean to hurt her or the sweet angel she called a sister. But would it have mattered if he had came back or not? The curse would still have gotten to Akane somehow...simply because Ranma Saotome existed.   
Ranma.  
Or more specific...Ranma Saotome...  
...his brother in another life...  
...his rival in this one...  
  
But try as he might, he couldn't keep the anger and bitterness out of his soul as he stroked his left cheek. It healed already...but the sting was there, burned deep into his heart. Even before this...before th years and centuries that hardened his heart...before all the pain that he endured...he still couldn't let her go...and he wasn't going to now. He was Kama...and he wasn't going to lose...not to his brother...not to his great-grandchild...not to death...not to anything...  
  
"Kama...?" he heard a voice hesitantly ask behind him and he almost gave a grin.  
"What?" he growled out. She walked over and stood below him, looking shyly down at the ground. That gave his ego a big boost...he still had it.  
"Are...are you okay? I heard Akane hit you....she's always like that...violent and everything..." Ukyo said and Kama, with his years of experience, heard the subtle resentment in her tone.  
  
"Yes, well that's what attracts us Saotome males," Kama snided. If he was going to hurt...someone else was going to hurt with him. Ukyo didn't fail to deliver. She flinched at his words and he could practically feel the pain coming from her. That gave him satisfaction.  
She looked at him then, her innocent, large, champagne eyes watery as she whispered in a pain-filled voice, "Yes, well some of us normal girls that fall in love with those Saotome males are never noticed because of her." That gave Kama pause...and for one instant...he was back in time again...  
  
...the innocent and naive child-girl that fell in lovw with him...the laughing woman that fell in love with him...the crying wife that begged him to stay...  
...Sammy...  
...and for a moment suspended in time, Kama felt his heart ache at the memory of Sammy...and how much she had loved him...how much she had loved him and he had hurt her...she had so much hope and love in her eyes...so much...and he had squashed it all...  
  
########Flashback########  
He sat at the table in the corner of the inn...his sword at his side after the latest heroic fight with the demon dragon...the crowd cheered him on and everyone thought he was a hero...but he waan't. Kama didn't care about these villagers...he just needed to find a way to die. That's when he took a swing at the drink in his hand...but of course he didn't die this time...no the dragon died instead...  
...and the hero lived on...  
...damn he hated this...  
  
Suddenly, a little girl about 7 or 8 came up and sat across from him at the table. She put her small, pudgy, overly cute face in her hands as she put her elbows on the table. The little girl didn't say anything but just stared at him with large, champgane eyes that looked at him with awe and hope. What was her name again? Sunny...sahi...sammy! She was the inn owner's daughter.  
Kama rolled his eyes and took another swing at his drink. He didn't have time to deal with little kid brats.  
  
"What?" he growled out menacingly after awhile. The growl that scared millions didn't even faze the girl as her grin grew.  
"You're very pretty," she said and he almsot groaned out loud. Not another kid with a case of hero-worship! But he looked into her eyes and practically was blinded by the stars she saw there.  
"Listen, kid, I'm not pretty. Now why don't you go and play dolls or something," he said impatiently. He wasn't above hurting annoying little kids.  
  
"Will you marry me?" she asked joyfully and Kama choked on his drink. He didn't have time for this! He was 2 centuries older then her and everyone in the room and this little kid was asking him to marry her. Somebody really hated him.  
"No, kid, now go away," he said and the light in her eyes seemed to fade a little. Just a little.  
"Do you like me?" she asked, her bottom lip out. Kama was one second from exploding in anger.  
"No, kid, now go away!" he shouted. The little girl just had the nerve to grin and lean over to kiss him on the cheek.  
"Don't worry, you will," she whispered before scrambling off. Kama gave a scowl and walked out of the inn...forgetting all about the little girl named Sammy w ith the champagne eyes.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He was back in the same village again. Another demon sighting and he was going to put his life on the line again...just at the hope that this time...this time he'll be able to end this life of his. He didn't remember when he was last in this village...time wasn't a major issue for the wandering immortal. Some kids ran past him, giggling and suddenly for the first time in many years he remembered the little girl at the inn. He gave a smile...she was probably married and had a houseful of kida already. Definitly over that bad case of hero-worship.  
...then he frowned...  
...or had he been to late and the little girl had already aged to an old woman and died?...  
...that always happened...  
...he would stay young and those around him would age and die...  
  
His punishment for what he did to his brother.  
His damn, eternal punishment.  
  
Then, suddenly he heard a magical laugh...not one of those coy, annoying giggles that women always gave..but a true laugh that came from the heart...  
...he turned around and smiled, ready to see what kind of woman would have enough happiness to give that kind of laugh...  
...and there she stood...she wasn't beautiful...not even striking...but there was something about her that gave Kama a slight pause...  
...and then he realized what gave him pause and it shocked him to the bone...  
...the little girl Sammy had grown up...  
#######End of Flashback########  
  
...he hadn't loved Sammy...not the way he loved Akane...but she had loved him... had continued loving him even after all the horrible things he did to her...had continued loving him even when he married her just to get an heir and told her as much...had continued loving him even after he continually reminded her he loved another...had continued loving him even after she got pregnant and he walked out never to return...  
...had even continued loving him when she aged and died...  
...alone...  
  
Kama didn't have regrets...his heart was too cold for that...but he regretted ever hurting Sammy...  
...nobody had loved him as much as she had...  
...even Akane didn't love him like Sammy had...  
...Sammy would look at him with love shining in her eyes and he would hate her because she wasn't Akane...because he had seen Akane have that love-filled look in her eyes...and she had directed it at his brother...  
  
Ukyo...Sammy...sammy...ukyo...  
Suddenly, he couldn't tell the difference anymore...and that confused him...  
So with a low growl, he jumped off the fence and was thought...his only companions being his thoughts and regrets...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"What does it mean?"   
"I don't know."  
And both Akane and Ranma looked down at the sheet that fell out of t he Greenwitch bottle again...  
  
{...but there was a way to undo the curse. It wasn't irrevocable...all curses...just like all locks have a way to fix and a way to solve...but the people that are involved in the Saotome curses have to figure it out for themselves. Poison for poison/and life for life/death for death/and strife for strife.../ the Saotomes could never learn the answer to the curse because all Saotomes are born with natural selfishness and natural arrogance...all Saotomes would rather die then fail... so they shall never ever figure out the answer...and when they do find the answer to the curse...they will not have the strength to do it...that's why the curse was made in the first place ...because love made the Saotomes weak...}  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: Eh!! Get outta here! 


End file.
